Kaznia
thumb|200px|The Kaznian Flag] Kaznia was a European nation. The coordinates 45°9'8''N, 19°58'13''E were given as being within Kaznia's borders, making it a Balkan nation. The religion of the royal family appeared to be Eastern Orthodox Christianity. History Kaznia has a long-running problem with civil war and other forms of domestic unrest. It is divided between multiple factions, the most prominent of which are the Northerners and Southerners. The Northern Kaznians are composed of tribes and have the appearance of a guerrilla movement. The Southern Kaznians have the appearance of a regular military, and so may have some association with the country's "legitimate" government, a hereditary monarchy. At the time of Superman's first appearance in Metropolis,In , "The Last Son of Krypton, Part II" Kaznia appeared to be ruled by a "Regent" who had been sanctioned by the United States and other countries for using a squad of terrorists to eliminate his political enemies. The Regent made a secret deal with Lex Luthor to acquire a prototype of LexCorp's new military battlesuit, the Lexo-Skel. Because Kaznia was under a trade embargo, the sale was carried out by staging a theft from LexCorp using a team of hired mercenaries, led by John Corben. However, the deal was thwarted by Superman. Later, a faction of the Kaznian military attempted to purchase a large number of high-tech weapons from Gotham City mobsters Penguin, Rupert Thorne, and the assassin Bane. The Kaznians never received these arms, thanks to the intervention of Batman. In later years, the leadership of the country passed to King Gustav. He boosted the country's popularity on an international scale through large contributions to an International Space Station, but at the cost of increasing economic and political instability at home. Needing a platform from which to hatch his plans for world domination, Vandal Savage married Princess Audrey, the heir to the throne. After poisoning Gustav, Savage assumed control of Kaznia and launched an orbital weapon. The Justice League dismantled his plot, and Audrey assumed the throne as Queen. During her rule, fighting broke out between the Northern tribes and the Southern faction. Knowing that the fighting could potentially escalate into a region-wide conflict, Ares eagerly attempted to escalate the conflict. With his assistance, the Northerners, led by Nardoc, successfully repelled an offensive by the Southerners, but Ares was incensed when Nardoc said he was content with stopping there. Ares replaced Nardoc, and the fighting flared up again. The Justice League intervened at Queen Audrey's request, and a ceasefire was achieved, though with no prospect of lasting peace. Later, however, the civil war appeared to have ended, and a unified Kaznia joined the European Union. A few decades later, Kaznia seems to have reverted to a less stable form, as Kaznian minister Vilmos Egans contracted with Derek Powers for a lethal chemical weapon in the late 2040s designed to eliminate the military forces of his "neighbors", though it is unclear whether this was a reference to a neighboring country, or to a rival faction within Kaznia. Background information Trivia * In reality, the coordinates given in the episode "The Great Brain Robbery" are in Vojvodina, an autonomous province in northern Serbia. Likewise, the coordinates shown in "Maid of Honor" also place the Kaznian royal palace in Vojvodina. * Audrey's legacy seems to have included her reputation as a party girl before she assumed the throne; in the episode "Spellbound", an auction house director is locking up the "Princess Audrey Collection" of dresses. * In the episode "Maid of Honor", the name of the country is spelled as "Kasnia", with an S instead of a Z. Sightings and references * "The Last Son of Krypton, Part II" * "The Last Son of Krypton, Part III" * "Rebirth" * "Maid of Honor" * "Starcrossed, Part I" Feature film * Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman * "Hawk and Dove" * "The Great Brain Robbery" Footnotes